The invention relates generally to metal forming equipment and specifically to apparatus for axially discharging stock from metal drawing and extrusion equipment.
The common metal forming techniques of drawing and extrusion involve the reduction of cross-sectional area of bar stock or the reduction of wall thickness of tube stock with an attendant increase in length as well as increased tensile strength due to the cold working of the metal inherent in such a process. In the extrusion process, stock being worked is forced toward and through a die effecting a reduction in cross-sectional area or wall thickness; whereas, the same effect is achieved in the drawing process by pulling or drawing the stock through the die.
Due to both the end use considerations and considerations of the time expended to complete the loading operation prior to each extrusion or drawing cycle versus the time required to complete the drawing operation, it is typical to perform the drawing or extruding operation over extended horizontal lengths to produce equally extended lengths of drawn or extruded metal stock. Finished lengths of fifty and sixty feet or more are not uncommon.
The production of such extended lengths of drawn or extruded material is accompanied by certain handling difficulties. In prior art extruding or drawing equipment, the finished stock is received by downwardly sloping, laterally extending arms which direct it laterally outwardly from the drawbench into a receiving bin. Such a discharge structure exhibits at least two disadvantages. First of all, since the entire length of one side of the extrusion or drawbench must be open to permit lateral exit of the drawn stock, the general cross-section of the bench frame must be of an inverted "L" configuration. Such a configuration requires substantial bracing to provide sufficient rigidity to the drawbench in order to assure accurate operation and extended service life. Because of this, a lateral discharge bench may contain bracing structure and thus material and weight substantially in excess of a bench having a symmetrical, inverted "U" frame cross-section. Secondly, as the stock is laterally discharged from the extrusion apparatus or drawbench, it stacks randomly in a receiving bin and the stock becomes intertwined. Such intertwining or "jackstrawing" complicates emptying of the collection bin as well as orderly handling and packaging of the stock.